EPHRAIM, Utah — There have been at least five encounters over the past week in Utah, and leading state biologists are looking at what’s changing their behavior. Campers stopped by in Ephraim on July 28 when one such wayward bear was captured in the town. According to camp host Michelle Dansie, no bears were spotted in the Hope Campground all season until then. DWR Game Mammals Coordinator Chad Wilson believes the drought is a contributing factor to the increase in bear encounters. “I think in Utah, there’s sometimes a mindset that we don’t have a lot of bears or there aren’t bears in certain areas.